PlainZIP

Columbus, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28722

Polk County, North Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

6,371
54/sq mi
$67,760
Median income
$307,300
Median home value
36.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Columbus pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

43th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 32%
home value, US ZIPs
54
people per sq mi
69%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28722 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28722 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Columbus, Polk County, North Carolina, home to 6,371 residents across 118.0 square miles, a density of 54 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 28722 reports a modest median household income of $67,760 (2% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $40,814. 12.4% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 2.2%. The typical home here is valued at $307,300 (18% above the state average); renters pay a median of $1,863 monthly, and 69.4% of units are owner-occupied.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 36.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 55.3, and the average commute is 24 minutes. We also surface 6 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 3 additional ZIPs sharing Polk County, so you can benchmark 28722 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 28722

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Columbus, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 28722.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28722, Columbus, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

6,371

Population

118.0

Area (sq mi)

54

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 28722?

55.3

Median Age

47.3%

Male

52.7%

Female

3.1%

Foreign-Born

White 91.6%
African American 3.1%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.6%
Hispanic or Latino 3.4%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$67,760

Median Household Income

-2% vs state

$40,814

Per Capita Income

12.4%

Poverty Rate

2.2%

Unemployment Rate

24.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 28722 ranks nationally

Columbus, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$67,760 43rd percentile higher than 43% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 65.1%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 36.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

3,224

Total Housing Units

2,759

Occupied Units

465

Vacant Units

2.14

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 69.4%
Renter 30.6%

$307,300

Median Home Value

+18% vs state

$1,863

Median Rent

1987

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 195 business establishments in ZIP 28722, employing approximately 2,048 people with a combined annual payroll of $79,612,000.

195

Businesses

2,048

Employees

$79.6M

Annual Payroll

14

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 33 16.9%
Retail trade 27 13.8%
Construction 22 11.3%
Other services (except public administration) 21 10.8%
Accommodation and food services 19 9.7%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 17 8.7%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 15 7.7%
Finance and insurance 9 4.6%
Manufacturing 8 4.1%
Real estate and rental and leasing 7 3.6%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 5 2.6%
Wholesale trade 4 2.0%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 3 1.5%
Transportation and warehousing 3 1.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 28722 vs 28782 →

ZIP 28722 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28722 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 28722 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 28722 ranks #3 of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
28782 Tryon, NC 6,584 1.5 mi
29322 Campobello, SC 8,781 7.6 mi
28756 Mill Spring, NC 4,504 8.4 mi
29338 Fingerville, SC 85 9.7 mi
29356 Landrum, SC 8,074 10.0 mi
28139 Rutherfordton, NC 20,111 10.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Polk County

28782 standard
Tryon, NC
Pop: 6,584
28756 standard
Mill Spring, NC
Pop: 4,504
28773 standard
Saluda, NC
Pop: 3,378

Related Areas

Polk County Columbus, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28722 in? ▼
ZIP code 28722 (Columbus) is located in Polk County, North Carolina. Polk County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/polk-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28722? ▼
ZIP code 28722 in Columbus, NC has a population of 6,371 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28722? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 28722 is $67,760, which is 11% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28722? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 28722 is $307,300, which is 10% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28722? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 28722 is White at 91.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28722? ▼
ZIP code 28722 has 195 business establishments employing approximately 2,048 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 28722? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 28722 are: Health care and social assistance (33), Retail trade (27), Construction (22). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28722? ▼
In ZIP code 28722, 65.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 36.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 28722? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 28722 is 24.0 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28722? ▼
In ZIP code 28722, approximately 69.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 30.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28722? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28722 is 12.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.